This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com

Meek Mill, here’s some help in your losing battle with Drake

Wednesday morning Toronto hip-hop icon Drake released “Back to Back,” the second in a series of diss records aimed at Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill, who instigated the conflict with a few tweets suggesting Drake didn’t write his own rhymes.

Fighting words, for sure.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

The one-sided battle has enraptured rap fans online, who are still waiting for Meek Mill to stop teasing and respond to Drake’s songs. And it’s attracted Toronto city councillor Norm Kelly (open Norm Kelly's policard) (or whichever young staffer is running his Twitter feed), who has trolled Meek Mill in a series of tweets.

But what does any of this have to do with sports?

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Everything.

Drake is the Raptors Global Ambassador, and friend to athletes from LeBron James to Andrew Wiggins to Serena Williams. And in each of this week’s salvo he has embedded references to Toronto’s sports glory.

“I get a ring and bring it home like I’m Cory Joe,” he says on “Charged Up,” the first shot in the lyrical one-two he launched this week, a reference to Durham Region native and new Raptors point guard Cory Joseph leaving the Spurs.

And the background photo on the SoundCloud page that houses “Back to Back”? A photo of Joe Carter, arms raised, moments after belting the home run that defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1993 World Series. The walk-off homer made the Jays back-to-back champs.

Meanwhile, Meek Mill remains silent. His tweets started this mess yet by Wednesday afternoon he still hadn’t answered Drake on the record. One group of online jokesters wondered whether he couldn’t afford studio time to record his comeback, so they started a crowdfunding campaign.

But at the Star’s sports department we think it’s a simple case of writer’s block, and we’re here to help. We’re not taking sides or hoping Meek Mill wins. We just want to see more of a contest and less of a one-sided pummeling.

So instead of shaming Meek Mill into replying, we’ve examined the history of on-field conflict between Toronto and Philadelphia and found three Philly victories, hoping they’ll jump-start his creative process.

-

May 21, 2001

NBA Eastern Conference semifinal, Game 7

76er 88, Raptors 87

At the height of Vinsanity the Raptors were within a game of the NBA conference final, needing only to defeat the Sixers one more time. But on the morning of Game 7, Raptors superstar Vince Carter hopped a flight to Chapel Hill, N.C., to walk across the stage and receive his degree from UNC. From there he flew back to Philly, shot 6-for-18, and missed the shot that would have sent the Raptors to the finals. The Raptors haven’t won a playoff series since, and the moment remains a sore spot for local sports fans.

Suggested line: “It don’t matter what Drake say/The six come up short like Carter on graduation day.”

-

July 19, 1967

Joe Frazier TKO George Chuvalo

Toronto’s Chuvalo is recognized as among the toughest ever in a hard sport. His career spanned 93 bouts and included showdowns with legends like Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, but Chuvalo never suffered a knockdown. Ever. But do you know who was the first person to defeat him by stoppage? Philadelphia’s Joe Frazier, whose legendary left hook opened several gashes in Chuvalo’s face and scalp, prompting the referee to halt the fight.

Suggested line: “You got buff, you got a beard –—yeah . . . I know / But imma still cut you up like Frazier did Chuvalo.”

-

May 4, 2004

NHL Eastern Conference semifinal, Game 6

Flyers 3, Leafs 2

Flyers win series 4-2

Loaded Leafs team. Coached by Pat Quinn. Best chance in a long time to snap the Stanley Cup drought that stretched back to 1967. Then they lost two games to open the series. They won two before losing Game 5, and returned to Toronto needing to win a Game 6 that will be remembered for two things: Darcy Tucker’s monstrous hit on Sami Kapannen, and Jeremy Roenick’s game-winning, series-ending, crowd-silencing overtime goal. It took the Leafs nine years to return to the playoffs.

More from The Star & Partners

LOADING

Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or distribution of this content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. To order copies of Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com

The one-sided battle has enraptured rap fans online, who are still waiting for Meek Mill to stop teasing and respond to Drake’s songs. And it’s attracted Toronto city councillor Norm Kelly (open Norm Kelly's policard) (or whichever young staffer is running his Twitter feed), who has trolled Meek Mill in a series of tweets.

Drake is the Raptors Global Ambassador, and friend to athletes from LeBron James to Andrew Wiggins to Serena Williams. And in each of this week’s salvo he has embedded references to Toronto’s sports glory.

“I get a ring and bring it home like I’m Cory Joe,” he says on “Charged Up,” the first shot in the lyrical one-two he launched this week, a reference to Durham Region native and new Raptors point guard Cory Joseph leaving the Spurs.

And the background photo on the SoundCloud page that houses “Back to Back”? A photo of Joe Carter, arms raised, moments after belting the home run that defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1993 World Series. The walk-off homer made the Jays back-to-back champs.

Meanwhile, Meek Mill remains silent. His tweets started this mess yet by Wednesday afternoon he still hadn’t answered Drake on the record. One group of online jokesters wondered whether he couldn’t afford studio time to record his comeback, so they started a crowdfunding campaign.

But at the Star’s sports department we think it’s a simple case of writer’s block, and we’re here to help. We’re not taking sides or hoping Meek Mill wins. We just want to see more of a contest and less of a one-sided pummeling.

So instead of shaming Meek Mill into replying, we’ve examined the history of on-field conflict between Toronto and Philadelphia and found three Philly victories, hoping they’ll jump-start his creative process.

-

May 21, 2001

NBA Eastern Conference semifinal, Game 7

76er 88, Raptors 87

At the height of Vinsanity the Raptors were within a game of the NBA conference final, needing only to defeat the Sixers one more time. But on the morning of Game 7, Raptors superstar Vince Carter hopped a flight to Chapel Hill, N.C., to walk across the stage and receive his degree from UNC. From there he flew back to Philly, shot 6-for-18, and missed the shot that would have sent the Raptors to the finals. The Raptors haven’t won a playoff series since, and the moment remains a sore spot for local sports fans.

Suggested line: “It don’t matter what Drake say/The six come up short like Carter on graduation day.”

-

July 19, 1967

Joe Frazier TKO George Chuvalo

Toronto’s Chuvalo is recognized as among the toughest ever in a hard sport. His career spanned 93 bouts and included showdowns with legends like Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, but Chuvalo never suffered a knockdown. Ever. But do you know who was the first person to defeat him by stoppage? Philadelphia’s Joe Frazier, whose legendary left hook opened several gashes in Chuvalo’s face and scalp, prompting the referee to halt the fight.

Suggested line: “You got buff, you got a beard –—yeah . . . I know / But imma still cut you up like Frazier did Chuvalo.”

-

May 4, 2004

NHL Eastern Conference semifinal, Game 6

Flyers 3, Leafs 2

Flyers win series 4-2

Loaded Leafs team. Coached by Pat Quinn. Best chance in a long time to snap the Stanley Cup drought that stretched back to 1967. Then they lost two games to open the series. They won two before losing Game 5, and returned to Toronto needing to win a Game 6 that will be remembered for two things: Darcy Tucker’s monstrous hit on Sami Kapannen, and Jeremy Roenick’s game-winning, series-ending, crowd-silencing overtime goal. It took the Leafs nine years to return to the playoffs.